Productive Few Days

I spent all day Saturday doing yard work. I trimmed our much needed pineapple palm to look again like a pineapple. I weeded, mowed, edge and trimmed. I don't know what it is but, always the day after yard work I wake up with a really bad headache. Sunday I cleaned out my closet and my drawers. If I haven't worn it in months - I bagged it up for the homeless. Today Michelle and I spent the day working on her wedding invitations.
Scott and I haven't seen Skylar since Christmas Eve. She phoned today and asked us to pick her up tomorrow and when I said "yes" she said she was happy. I can't think of a better way to spend New Years Day.

Some Peoples Kids II

Last evening we received a call from a friend of Scott's family. We were tired and choose not to answer the phone. A message was left on the answering machine saying that she had a feeling Scott's mother had died and wanted him to call her back. Who would call and leave that on someone's answering machine? We don't even know if she knows Scott's mom is ill.

Some Peoples Kids

Scott's mother is gravely ill. Given his condition he is unable to travel all the way to Wisconsin. He phones daily to check on his mother via the nurse's station. When Scott phoned Christmas Day to check on his mother, the nurse stated that there was company in her room , so she rang Scott through. Mike, a friend of Scott's brother was in the room. I had sent Scott mother a Christmas card that had our family's picture on it. He made the comment to Scott, that he didn't look to bad, given the condition he had heard Scott was in - he thought he would be in as bad of shape as Scott's mother. I can not believe someone would say something so stupid -

Hard To Let Go

I was heart broken when Blake decided to join the Army. Eventually I came to terms. I try to look at it in a different ways, like he has the opportunity to travel the world. As I was preparing myself for Blake's leave date which is June 12th- Blake has decided to finish his High School in an accelerated program. Instead of sitting in class for another 5 months and graduating with the Class he has been with since grade school, he has decided to drop Satellite High and graduate through High School with Brevard County. After many tears and many questions , this is my conclusion. After boot camp it was very hard for Blake to return to High School, he felt like he was taking a step back instead of forward. I stressed that it was important for me to see him walk - he said I saw him walk (meaning boot camp graduation) and that meant more to him than high school graduation.
Blake will renegotiate his contract and his departure date will be before June 12th.
I realized my dream for my children's life, my not always be their dream and that I may never be ready for Blake to began his adult life.

Christmas Holiday

I dropped Scott off at Chemo on Friday and headed to Apopka to pick up my mom. Gail had given Scott extra anti-anxiety, so he slept all the way home and the rest of the night. Skylar visited Saturday so Tom could visit Santa to make sure he completed Skylar's list. Skylar wanted to bake cookies we made two batches and she was ready to move on to something else. Christmas Eve we had our friends Matt, Michelle, Turner & Boston (their two dogs) Skylar, Tom, Blake , my mother, Scott and I. I had purchased a flurry machine and made it snow for Christmas. Skylar thought it was great - it snowed in our living room. It lasted about 5 min. then we made it snow again. Skylar then figured out how to turn it on and it really snowed. Christmas Eve was exhausting. Christmas day was quite - it was just my mother, Scott and I. It was a great - lazy Christmas.

Dec-who-rations

Most of you are curious how I decorated for our Who-bilation. Here are a few pictures. My mom made the fireplace mantel in one day out of scrap wood she had lying around. THANKS MOM!

Our Little Christmas Who

The Beginning of Who-bilation

Thursday after work we headed to Pacific Royal Resort to begin our Who-bilation. Friday was the first day of Grinchmas so we were excited. We started of our morning with Breakfast with the Grinch. Skylar did well until the Grinch showed up. She did not like the Grinch and when he approached our table she told him to stand by Blake on the opposite side of the table. The Grinch looked confused until Blake raised his hand and said I'm Blake. He was a great Grinch. Skylar never took her eyes off him as he moved table to table. A couple of who's showed up as part of the breakfast and she didn't like them either. She asked why there were mice there? Then alittle later the cat and the hat showed up with thing 1 and thing 2 by now she had had enough. Let's go she said. We then headed to Islands of Adventure to have our picture made with the Grinch. Again Skylar was having no part of that so we had to switch up plans abit. Skylar's favorite ride was the cat and the hat. Her and I rode it 16 times. She also loved the carousel. We spent most of our time in Seuss Land. Seuss land was full of who's. Skylar had the Grinch on her shirt and everytime the who's would see her they would scream and hide so Skylar would cover her shirt so the who's couldn't see the Grinch. Eventually she warmed up to the who's but is still not fond of the Grinch. We walked back to the hotel where Skylar had a small bit of sugar energy left and then she crashed.

Saturday we went to Universal Studios. Skylar didn't like The Shrek ride, she didn't like ET so we decided to hit some of the shows. We walked by Fear Factor and noticed Blake was casting for a stunt. His first stunt was to hang in the air 30+ feet his hands became sweaty and he fell :(

He then had to do the walk of shame. We went to kids land where we thought Skylar could have fun. The Nickelodeon characters were doing a show on stage. Again she was fine at a distance but did not want them close to her. So we decided to just let her play in Fivels play land - the she loved. She seem to like the Macy's Day Parade with all the floats and the characters.

We took the boat back to the hotel. Skylar was so tired she was goofy. I bathed her, dressed her for bed and she eventually crashed after we had a pillow fight. We decided to get up early, checkout and have breakfast.

Lean On Me

I arrived At Dr. Cwikla's mother's house Wednesday morning to dress her and take her for surgery. As usual I let myself in. I went to her bedroom and found her lying on the floor - she had been there all night. I phoned 911 and they transported her to the hospital. Her blood pressure was 225/90 and she was dehydrated from being on the floor all night. I stayed with her most the day. She was later taken to surg. to repair her elbow fracture.
Scott's MRI is questionable. We are not sure if the area is swelling or an increase in the astrocytoma . We will not know anything for 8 weeks.

What A Day

Scott has an appt. with Dr. Nick today. I knew he wanted to have a serious sit down with Dr. Nick so Scott went alone. There is an area called T2 that we are not sure if it is edema or mass.
Dr. Nick has increased the Avastan ( which will decrease edema) so we will have another MRI in 4 weeks and than another 4 weeks. Dr. Nick is aware, he is watching, so we have to wait. That is the hardest part. Scott atrophy and the weakness on his left side is normal because being on Dexamethsone causes weakness in the shoulder and hip. He suggest Scott continue with physical therapy, So please keep us in your prayers.

Dr. Cwikla's mother trip and fell this morning. I took her for x-rays. She broke her elbow so bad they will do surg. tomorrow morning to place a plate. She also broke her knee cap in 6 pieces but, it has all stayed together. She will be in a wheelchair for 6-8 weeks. It has left her temp. unable to care for herself for a little while.

Productive Weekend

Giving the fact that Scott had chemo twice last week, Scott is doing great. We were a little worried because Tuesday he had such a bad day. He has an appt. tomorrow to see Dr. Nick and go over a few things.
I'm beginning to feel the stress of the holiday season. I did manage to finish my decorating, some presents wrapped, my grass mowed, cleaned the house and did the laundry. I've finished most of my Christmas shopping but no ideas for Blake.

Not To Bad

The week started out rough but, got easier. Scott had chemo again on Friday He seem to be really nervous, not sure how he would feel having chemo twice in one week, so the nurse gave him alittle extra juice. He slept through chemo and through the afternoon and night. Today he sat around not really doing to much and he is feeling pretty good. We had Gail (the nurse) ask Dr. Nick if Scott had the bad headache and nausea from the exra Avastan. Dr. Nick said it should not have , so maybe it was his mind convincing him how bad he was going to feel. He even gained an extra pound : )
I had my camera class, learned the basics on how to operate my new camera. It will be fun to learn all the extra little things it can do.
I did some more decorating and wrapped a few gifts. I have already began receiving Christmas cards. Some people are so organized.